With a higher unemployment rate than any other group in Milwaukee, African-American men, in particular, are in dire need of more jobs. That's one reason why this guy I know had a bold plan to get more young black men in his neighborhood working.

He's had the idea for years and believes it could work if enough people gave it a chance.

His plan called for a group of unemployed black men to purchase a few boxes of plastic trash bags to use for cleanup duties in their own neighborhoods. Next, they would identify parts of the community that needed cleaning - pavements, parking lots, vacant fields, etc. - and do it for free for about a week.

The next week, they would ask the business owners or residents if they wanted to pay for a regular trash pickup for a small fee. His assumption was most people would be glad to reward the young men for their enterprise. Eventually, the young men would see their business expand into larger areas to become a worthwhile vocation that could lead to a profitable business.

After explaining his plan, he seemed very pleased with himself and waited for my reaction.

I didn't have the heart to tell him it really didn't seem all that feasible to me, for a variety of reasons.

But I'll give him credit; at least it was a plan.

These days, the politicians seem more concerned with turning jobs away.

The failure by the Wisconsin Legislature to pass a controversial mining bill for northern Wisconsin was the latest casualty in the job-creation agenda most politicians claim to support but can't seem to figure out how to work together to make happen.

The iron mine proposed for northern Wisconsin reportedly represented 600-700 jobs, although some disputed that amount. Whatever the figure, what's clear is that job estimates don't put food on a household's table, only real jobs do.

The mining proposal came with some serious baggage for legislators, residents and Wisconsin tribes with environmental concerns. And frankly, I don't know many African-American men in Milwaukee who would consider applying for a mining job in northern Wisconsin anyway. It's a pretty long commute from the north side, not to mention every other side of town.

Of course, workers in northern Wisconsin need good jobs, too. But seeing how African-American men have been identified as a segment of the population most sorely in need of more jobs, it's a bit disconcerting to realize so much effort was spent by this Legislature trying to create a project that wouldn't have directly addressed that problem.

I guess it's back to square one.

It's often amusing to hear the differing views about job creation expressed in partisan political terms. Supporters of President Barack Obama point to declining unemployment figures nationwide and blame Gov. Scott Walker's administration for Wisconsin trailing other states in job creation. Walker supporters brag that the governor's policies have turned Wisconsin around and proclaim Obama a hindrance to broader job creation in the U.S.

I'm pretty sure both sides can't be right.

Some are annoyed that Walker blamed Democrats and "outside forces" for not passing the mining bill, particularly since it was a Republican vote that derailed the project. Also, many still remember Walker's political decision to refuse $810 million in stimulus for federal rail projects. That move cost the state - and Milwaukee - lots of good jobs that could have been used to stimulate the local economy and support needy families.

The black father I mentioned above with a bold plan to end black unemployment truly believed all you need to create a job for yourself is the proper amount of effort and commitment. That's a laudable sentiment. But the reality is, it usually doesn't happen that easily, and not without help.

As the politicians seem to be learning, when it comes to job creation, it takes a lot more than just talk.